Luther the Reformer Paper Edit

This was an exceptional biography of Martin Luther. While most biographies tend to focus on only a small portion of his life (usually his initial "discovery" of his doctrine of justification and the initial break from Rome), Kittleson tackles the life of Luther as a complete story. While he did spend far more time (i.e. the first 200 pages) on Luther's early life and "conversion," he spent the remainder of the book looking at the often neglected later life of Luther. While Bainton's biography was groundbreaking, and is still a good book, this one surpasses it in it's fairness and completeness (though it does lack a little of the entheusiasm that Bainton had). This book makes Luther's life and theology very accessable to non-historians. Kittleson always puts Luther's ideas and writings in context, giving us a feel for why he said what he said. While many of Luther's words still seem harsh and divisive, they are at least a little more understandable when looked at in context. Further, Kittleson does what most biographers fail to do when writing about Luther: he really helps the reader understand what Luther's personality was like. Instead of presenting Luther as a disembodied intellect pumping out ideas, he gives information that helps us put together a picture of what Luther the person was really like. The only complaints I have about this book are the brevity of his treatment of Luther's later life and his slight bias in favor of Luther. While I can tell that he is trying to be fair, he often ends up defending Luther's harsh comments and actions. While I do admire Luther, I have no problem admiting that Luther was wrong about some things, was far too harsh at times, and really was far more divisive than he needed to be. Kittleson seems to realize this, but always tries to defend Luther's words or actions by explaining that he was doing these things because he was so devoted to defending his conception of true doctrine. That may be, but does that really mean he was not wrong about some things? Lest you think that this book is merely a defense of Luther, it is really not so blatant as I am making it sound. In comparison to most Luther biographies written by a Lutheran, I imagine that it is very objective. Kittleson never explicitly says that Luther did no wrong, he just seemed to lightly imply it in many places. The mere fact that he actually presents the distasteful writings/actions of Luther in the book should speak volumes about his desire to be fair, and my complaint is really very minor. Overall, this is definitely a recommended book. It seems to be THE place to start in learning about Luther, even above Bainton's excellent biography. I have obviously not read every Luther biography out there, or even a decent portion of them, but I would be very surprised if there were a better one than this which covers Luther's whole life. Overall grade: A

Luther had many contributions to the history of the Christian church. He was the father of the Protestant reformation. Many of the reformers looked to him as inspiration, if nothing else. He also promoted the pillars of the Reformation: sola scriptura, sola fide, sola sacerdos, sola gracia, and sola Christe. He changed how people relate to God and impact people's daily lives. People denounced monastic vows and embraced marriage. Luther single-handedly weakened the power of the Catholic Church. By teaching Scripture, he undermined the sale of indulgences, destroyed the Church's sacramental system and undermined its ecclesiastical authority. The Church would be forced to clarify its teachings at the Council of Trent, which would push it farther away from the possibility of reform. After just reading a tortorous biography on John Wesley, this biography was much better. Even while Kittleson discussed theology, he kept it interesting and in context.

This is a terrific book, both for people who want a first book to read about Martin Luther, and for those who know the story well. Luther has been the subject of many biographies; Kittelson's book is unique in blending the development of Luther's theology with an account of the life of the man. Kittelson's expertise allows him to tell a complex story clearly and concisely. The book inspired me to read more about Luther, including some of his own writings.

This book easily eclipses Bainton's and others in providing an accurate, yet readable for the layman as well as pastor and scholar who wants to begin understanding Luther and the Reformation. Not bogged down with the scholarly drawl of painstakingly covering all the angles and previous opinions on this most intriguing of historial figures. Great maps and index. Highly recommened.

This book describes the errors of doctrine that Luther confronted in his life, and all the events that led to the departure from Rome. It provides insight into his reasoning, and how he came to his conclusions. In Luther's words, "The most important thing of all is to tell what is true and what is not true." This is the one imperitive we must each do. Someone is lying, and someone is telling the truth, and this book helps to sort that out. Highly recommended for anyone who is actively searching for the truth of why the reformation happened, and what it all means.